


Security

by thegreendaleseven



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, asexual Ike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10967907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreendaleseven/pseuds/thegreendaleseven
Summary: Ike just wants to know why Soren stashes food in his room, but he doesn't realize that, for the tactician, the past is hard to forget.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time attempting to write these two, despite them being one of my most favorite ships. Here's hoping I do them justice. I haven't played either game in several years, so my characterization might be off. Any feedback is appreciated!

It was common for people to keep a small amount of food in their bedrooms. Apples, pears, and bananas in bowls as a snack were not unheard of. But, Ike thought, as he found one day’s worth of rations hidden under Soren’s bed, this might be taking it a bit far.

 

Soren had been with the mercenaries for a few months. He arrived at the beginning of spring, just as the trees started to sprout new leaves. Ike remembered his father calling everyone to their dining hall to meet him. He didn’t remember much of what his father said; he only remembered Soren’s red eyes gazing at him, almost unblinking. He couldn’t figure out why.

 

Now it was the middle of summer, and Soren had… well, Ike was unsure if he should say that Soren had settled into their group. He was cordial with most of them, but he was more than capable of hurling insults at Shinon. In fact, he almost seemed more comfortable with that than when Oscar asked him to help with dinner. His father liked him, quickly turning to him for strategic input. As a tactician, Soren soon became irreplaceable.

 

Did Soren know this, Ike wondered, as he wrapped the food back up in the cloth he found it in. The two of them had been walking in the woods surrounding the fort when the sole of one of Soren’s boots split open. Soren hadn’t seemed concerned; he said that the pair was old and that, out of precaution, he had recently purchased a new pair.

 

“I can just go barefoot for the rest of the walk,” he had said.

 

Ike looked at the rough terrain of the forest floor, the rocks and raised roots. “Why don’t I run back and get your boots? We’re not that far, it’ll just take me a few minutes.”

 

“Really, Ike, I’ve walked barefoot before. We’ve only just started our walk.”

 

“Right, that’s why it won’t take long to go back and get them. Now, where can I find them?”

 

Ike found the boots under Soren’s bed. While he reached for them, his hand brushed up against the soft cloth. He couldn’t help but wonder what his new friend kept hidden. He barely had any personal possessions. But why food? Was he planning on leaving?

 

He found Soren sitting under a tree, protected from the harsh sunlight. Ike wiped at his forehead with his free hand, setting down both the boots and the food. Soren’s hair masked his face, leaving Ike unable to see his expression. “You didn’t say anything about bringing snacks.”

 

“You never struck me as the type to search through another’s belongings, Ike,” Soren said, putting on his new boots. “That seemed more like Shinon.”

 

“He’d only be interested if you had alcohol,” Ike said, sitting down next to Soren. This way, it would be easier to see his face. “Are you not staying?”

 

It was hard to get Soren talking, but Ike knew he had the best chance of making it happen. He didn’t know what about him endeared him to Soren—he couldn’t keep up with him intellectually and he knew nothing about magic—but the two of them had become good friends. It was hard to judge the friendship, though, when he barely knew Soren’s history. But that was okay with Ike. He liked Soren, and he knew that he could use a friend.

 

He could see, too, the gift of their friendship. Soren was trying to bring up the front he had around everyone else, where his expression betrayed no emotion, but he stood up straighter, tenser. In this forest, confronted with this, Ike could see him trying to find his words, trying to bring up that defense, but it didn’t happen quickly enough. Ike had caught him off guard. Ike suspected that didn’t happen often.

 

“I don’t plan on leaving,” Soren started, letting the thought trail off.

 

An honest response, Ike was glad to hear. Soren looked on edge, hesitant, but genuine. An honest answer deserved another. “Good. I would be sad if you left.”

 

There it was. The tiniest smile, the one that everyone thought he lied about because no one else had seen it. The one that vanished as suddenly as it appeared. “I’m not used to staying in one place for long, but I wish to continue to be here.”

 

Before Ike could reply, Soren rose to his feet. “Come on, we should continue.”

 

The two resumed their walk, eating the fruit Soren had packed. Ike was glad Soren wasn’t taking it on a trip; it was becoming overripe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read the previous chapter! Hope you like this one.

Everyone said Soren was unreadable, but Ike never understood that. Soren couldn’t keep anything from him, at least not for long. He certainly tried, managing to suffer for months before he confided in Ike. He had slowly been divulging his history, but Ike didn’t mind waiting. Ike was patient. He had to be, given his many positions: first as the commander of the Greil Mercenaries and now as the general of an army. With all his practice, Ike could easily wait out his best friend.

 

And he did.

 

Now he was following Soren into his tent. Soren hadn’t said much after confessing his secrets to Ike—he knew they were big secrets to Soren, but blood had never mattered to him—and Ike was hesitant to leave him alone. He had done his best to reassure him, but Ike knew what it meant to Soren to open himself up, to let himself be vulnerable. Even if he was okay, Ike didn’t want him to be alone.

 

Soren’s tent was located near his own, and while it would be considered clean by most, it was disorganized by Soren’s standards. Maps and loose parchments were spread on the ground along one of the walls. A small puddle of ink pooled by the parchments, appearing to have been spilled. A bag sat on Soren’s cot. It looked almost full, but not completely packed. A spare cloak was next to the bag, along with a small, compactly wrapped package.

 

“Were you worried?” Ike asked, motioning to the bed.

 

“I was,” Soren said, adding nothing more. He sat at the end of his cot and began removing the few possessions he had packed.

 

Ike sat down as well, a few inches away from Soren, trying not to imagine his best friend fleeing in the middle of the night, not knowing if he went to Crimea or Daein. Instead, he picked up the unknown package and, before he fully realized it, began to unwrap it.

 

“How did you get this without anyone seeing you?” Ike asked, holding the portion of salted meat. With how little Soren ate on a normal day, the small quantity of meat could last him a few days.

 

“I’m not the one everyone wants to sit with during meals. It’s quite easy to hide food in my cloak,” Soren explained, removing a handful of nuts from him bag.

 

“Aren’t these from Begnion?” He remembered how fondly Mist and Oscar spoke of them. “You’ve been holding onto them all this time?”

 

“It’s late, Ike. We should rest. Tomorrow we arrive in Crimea.”

 

Ike knew the conversation was at an end. Soren was right, too. He relented. “We’d be close, but we could both fit on here. Or I could sleep on the ground if you’d like that more?”

 

“Ike, what are you suggesting?”

 

“Soren, you were there for me when my father died. I want to be there for you, unless you want me to leave.”

 

“Then we can both sleep here,” Soren said with a small smile on his face, relaxing for the first time that evening.

 

When the two of them settled, Soren was practically on top of Ike, the cot truly being made for one person. Ike kept Soren in place with arm around him, his hand placed lightly on his hip.

 

“Good night, Soren,” Ike whispered, listening as Soren’s breathing slowed, indicating that he quickly fell asleep.

 

Ike fell asleep soon after, wondering how he could ever convince Soren he would never have to leave his side.


	3. Chapter 3

It took a long time and a lot of teamwork, but the mercenaries completed the restoration of their fort just over a year after the war. They were delayed a couple months due to the difficulty of Ike renouncing his new title and duties. He never wanted that level of attention or responsibility; he wanted to go back to the woods and help the innocent people of the neighboring towns, like he was meant to do before the war broke out.

 

Now he was in his new old home, trying to settle back into the routine of his old life. They left the fort basically as it was before the fire, with the only changes in room sizes. Ike’s bedroom was still next his sister’s, and Soren’s was just down the hall. Before they started construction, Ike considered asking Soren if he would be interested in sharing a room, but decided against it. The two of them had not discussed the changes of their relationship—sharing a bed almost every night, holding hands when one of them was exhausted and stressed, exchanging quick, chaste kisses in the morning before they went about their business—so Ike didn’t know if it would be forward of him to ask that. He was pleased with the state of their relationship, even with the unknown status of it, and he was worried about the implications of asking Soren to share a room, to share a bed, every day. He didn’t want to expand their physical relationship. He had never felt a desire to have sex like he had heard so many talk about, not for men or women, and at nineteen years of age, he didn’t expect this to change. But Soren was his family, he loved him, and he wanted the security of sleeping next to him every night.

 

After a week of trying to sleep alone, Ike knew what he needed to do. He needed to talk to Soren about one of his least favorite things: his own feelings.

 

The sun had started to rise when Ike knocked on Soren’s door. He knew he would be awake, but he was unsure if he would be in his room. Sometimes Soren would go for a walk to start his day, or he would immediately begin his tasks, like inventorying their weaponry and supplies.

 

Cautiously, he opened the door, peering inside. Soren’s room had a window facing east, so he could perfectly see inside, even with only the beginnings of sunlight. The first thing he noticed was Soren’s absence. The second thing he noticed was the smell. There was a surprisingly strong odor, and Ike wrinkled his nose at it. While he was afraid of overstepping Soren’s boundaries, he stepped into his room.

 

The bedroom was modest. The only furniture was the bed under the window, a small bureau for clothes, a table for Soren to work at, and a small bookshelf Ike had built for him, full of books and tomes. It was imperfect, not quite level, but Soren agreed to use it anyway, said he had never had something purposely made for him. He thought the smell was coming from it and looked behind it, and while he didn’t find the source, he found part of a loaf of bread. It looked like it was from the batch Oscar had made days ago. Why had Soren hidden some of it?

 

He left it on the floor, preparing to stand up, but then he noticed a browning banana under the desk. He crawled over to it and picked it up. It was grossly overripe and would soon begin to attract flies.

 

“Do you look through your sister’s things as well, or is this something you reserve for me?”

 

Ike jolted up in surprise, bumping his head into the desk. He sat back, rubbing his head, and looked up to see Soren looming over him.

 

“I’ll take that,” Soren said grabbing the fruit from Ike. “I was just coming to throw it outside.”

 

“Soren, wait. I’m sorry. Please stop,” Ike said, standing up.

 

Soren paused before the door, but he didn’t turn around. Ike settled for it and didn’t move.

 

“Why do you have food hidden in your room? We have plenty of gold, more gold than we’ll spend in years. I know you know this, you keep track of it all!”

 

“I do know this, Ike,” Soren said, sighing, as he closed the door. “I also know what it’s like to go without food for days, unable to forage for berries because they’ve already been eaten by animals. I know what it’s like to see adults ignore a child who was clearly starving but incapable of asking for help.”

 

He turned around, mouth a hard frown but eyes bright, and Ike wanted to go to him, to take the few steps to his side, but he stayed in his spot, letting him continue.

 

“Ike, I’m glad you don’t know what it’s like to starve. Ignoring the war, of course, where everyone was always a little hungry, but you had a place to sleep every night as a child, a father who gave you and your sister warmth and food and love. I don’t know what that was like, but I now know ways to find food, how and where to search, where to stash food, how long it will keep. I won’t be starving to death again, not when I know how few people will offer any aid.”

 

He couldn’t wait anymore. He walked to Soren and put his hands on his shoulders, staring down into his eyes.

 

“You’re right, Soren. I don’t know what it’s like to hungry. I was lucky to have parents that took care of me. I’m sorry you didn’t have that, and I’m sorry that I didn’t think about it. But…” he trailed off, moving one hand to gently touch Soren’s cheek. “But I don’t plan on that ever happening to you again. I plan on helping you and taking care of you, just as you do for me. I care for you, Soren, and I hope you know that I do.”

 

“Ike…” Soren slowly reached up and grasped Ike’s hand. “Thank you.”

 

Later that day, Ike carried the bookshelf, books and all, into his, and now Soren’s, room, looking forward to lying down and falling asleep beside him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay of this chapter. I fully blame Fire Emblem Echoes.

The silence of the world had been constricting, suffocating, but now that everyone had been turned back from stone, the loudness felt even worse. Somehow, they had defeated the goddess, and life was going to return to how it was before.

 

But there was no chance of Ike fading back into anonymity, like he had after the previous war. On the march back to the fort, the mercenaries were constantly being stopped. Everyone wanted to thank him, to offer him money and power and love. Each exchange was more awkward than the last, and Ike was tired. He had seen so much of Tellius, and he had seen so many different people; people full of love and hate and fear and courage. He had seen so much in these few years and he couldn’t imagine seeing anything more here. He loved helping his friends, but he needed this continent to stand on its own without him.

 

When they finally made it back to the base, everyone immediately went back to their own rooms. Ike could see the exhaustion in his own body being reflected in Soren’s face. The two of them quietly readied for bed.

 

“Soren?” Ike whispered a few minutes after they had settled in bed.

 

“Yes, Ike?” Soren turned around to face him.

 

“Soren… I want to leave. I want to leave Tellius and see what’s out there. Will you come with me?”

 

“Of course, Ike. Do you need to ask?”

 

Ike laughed quietly. “I guess I don’t. How long will it take you to be ready?”

 

“Not long. I don’t need much, just clothes and food.”

 

“Food? You don’t have any already packed?” Ike asked, propping himself up with his arm.

 

“I do not,” Soren answered, sitting up, “not since after we faced Ashera. It hasn’t felt necessary. Ike, when we spoke before fighting her, the way you held me, consoled me… I knew that I was truly safe with you. Even if something happens to me, I know you’ll be there to help me, just as you were when we were children.”

 

Soren leaned forward and kissed Ike on the mouth, lingering for a moment before pulling away. Ike closed his eyes, relaxing, glad Soren was choosing to remain by his side.

 

“Let’s get some sleep. We have busy days ahead. Perhaps you can teach me how you smuggle food without anyone catching you.”

 

“Good night, Ike,” Soren said pointedly, smiling in jest.

 

Ike smiled back, and soon fell asleep, happy that Soren felt the security he had tried offering him for years. They loved each other, and Ike couldn’t wait to see where they would go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for how short the ending is. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I can't figure out how to change it. Thank you to everyone who has read it. I've enjoyed writing Ike and Soren; they've been one of my main ships for over ten years, and I hope I did them justice.


End file.
